Pessary



- "r. YOUNG July 5, 1949.

PESSARY Filed Nov. '27, 1946 INVENTQR THOMAS Youm BY W 11M, 6am 1- 3/44 ATTORNEYS Patented July 5, 1949 iiiti'iED ST PESSARY Application November 27, 1946, Serial No. 712,607

1 2 Claims.

This invention relates to pessaries, and more particularly to pessaries of specialized shape for use by gynecologists and obstetricians in the 001'"- rection or prevention of certain conditions of the female genital organs.

In cases of cystocele, for example, it is desir able to use a pessary, somewhat elongated in shape, and whose rim portion provides longitudinal rigidity in order to offer support to the overhanging tissue. To facilitate the adjustment of the pessary to conform to the contour of the retropubic arch, it is further desirable that the rim portion of the pessary include a relatively flat flexible portion intermediate the rigid longitudinal portions. The resulting shape is generally similar in appearance to a horseshoe, the rigid portions of the periphery forming the toe and sides of the horseshoe with the relatively ilat flexible portion joining the two heels.

in order to permit the pessary to be folded for insertion in the Vaginal cavity, another flexible portion is included in the periphery of the pessary and is preferably located centrally at the toe of the horseshoe shape.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provi e a pessary which may be either of the ring or open type or of the occlusive type and which is substantially in the form of a horseshoe with closed ends.

A. further object is to provide a horseshoe shaped pessary comprising rigid longitudinal members adapted to provide the required shape.

another object the invention is to provide horseshoe-shaped pessary comprising longitudinal rigid portions to provide the required shape and including flexible portions adapted to permit folding of the to facilitate its insertion into the vaginal cavity.

Ether and further objects will become ap parent upon reading the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying draws which form a part hereof.

ferring to the drawings Fig. 1 shows a View of an embodiment of invention;

g. 53 shows p n View of g. 1., partly broke away;

i 3 is a perspective view of embodiment of 'Fig. 1 shown folded for insertion in the vagina;

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in a laterally compressed condition to which it will expand after insertion;

5 is a perspective view showing the shapes of the rigid members used in til? Embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4;

embodiment Figs. 6 to 11 show perspective views of modifications of the members of Fig. 5, each adapted to provide a modified form of horseshoe shape.

Referring to Fig. 1, the pessary comprises a rim portion I2, and if the pessary is of the occlusive type, a flexible dome portion I3 preferably of impermeable material which may be rubber, for example. The rim portion l2 is preferably of the same material.

As shown in Fig. 2, the rim portion [2 com prises a helical spring I l which extends around the entire periphery of the pessary. Spring it coated with or enclosed in suitable flexible impermeable material. Situated within helical spring M are two coremembers l5 and is shaped substantially as indicated in Fig. 5 and of suflicicnt. rigidity'to cause the pessary to maintain, when uncompressed, the shape shown in Fig. 2. If desired, core members 15 and i6 may be of material such as wire, which will be capable of being manually formed'into any desired shape, but which initially will have a form substantially as shown in Fig. 5.

In some instances, it may be desirable for the cores l5 and it to have one of the modified sl apes shown in Figs. 6 to 11.

In order to maintain the cores l5 and It in their correct relative positions within the helical spring M. additional springs such as ii and it may be utilized within helical spring It which will serve to provide resiliency, permitting the pessary to be folded and at the same time will maintain the cores in their correct relative positions. Other suitable means for maintaining the cores correct position are set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 613,131, filedAugust 28, 1945, new Patent Number 2,443,943.

In general, it will be noted that each of the two cores has a sharp bend through an angle of the order of and at the other end, curvature preferably somewhat elliptical and having radii of curvature substantially greater than the radius of curvature of the 90 bend.

When these cores l5 and it are placed in the spring it it is usually preferable to have the ends of these elliptical curves separated from one another by a short distance of the order of about one-quarter of an inch, so that on laterally com.- pressing the spring not too sharp a bend is obtained. I prefer to have the other leg of the sharp angle of each core relatively short com pared to the curved end. This provides a considerable space between these two ends in the finished spring, so that not too sharp a bend is obtained'when the pessary is laterally compressed.

The short end of the insert may be bent in the same plane as the curve or in a difierent plane. The curved portion may be all one plane or may be in more than one plane.

In operation, considering the embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 1-5, before compressing, the entire spring of the pessary is entirely in one plane. When it is laterally compressed it assumes the shape shown in Figure 3. This is very advantageous in that it provides a curve which follows the shape of the vaginal canal and therefore has a contour suitable for gynecological insertion. When, after insertion, the lateral pressure is removed, the pessary opens up and when adjusted at the forward end, since it still remains under slight lateral pressure, it assumes the shape shown in Figure 4.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A substantially horseshoe shaped pessary having a continuous rim portion comprising a pair of oppositely disposed relatively rigid core members, each extending in a sweeping curve from a point near the toe to a corner of the heel and thence sharply inward, said core portions being but slightly spaced from one another within the rim at the toe portion sumciently to permit lateral collapse of the pessary, but being connected through a comparatively long, normally substantially straight flexible-rim portion at the heel, the pessary being constructed and arranged. to assume a curvature when collapsed corresponding to that of the vaginal canal.

2. A substantially horseshoe shaped pessary having a continuous rim portion comprising a pair of oppositely disposed, relatively rigid core members, each extending in a sweeping curve from a point near the toe to a corner of the heel and thence sharply inward, a substantially continuous helical spring surrounding the core portions and extending through the spaces that intervene between the adjacent ends of the core portions, said core portions being but slightly spaced at the toe portion sufilciently to facilitate lateral collapse of the pessary, but being connected through a comparatively long, normally substantial straight flexible portion at the heel, the pessary being constructed and arranged to assume a curvature when collapsed corresponding to that of the vaginal canal.

THOMAS YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 4.0,949 Scattergood Dec. 15, 1863 59,999 Harding Nov. 2'7, 1866 1,949,863 Hay Mar, 6, 1934 2,024,539 Schmid Dec. 17, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 260,246 Germany May 23, 1913 

